Welcome to the Clermont County Park District

Recreation

The Clermont County Park District offers something for all guests – from active recreation like hiking, canoeing/kayaking or enjoying a bike ride, to more leisurely pursuits like enjoying a picnic or fishing. Explore and enjoy at your own pace.

Education

Clermont County Park District naturalists offer a variety of nature education programs to schools, scout groups, civic organizations and the general public. Nearly 5,000 people attend our naturalist programs annually.

Conservation

The Clermont County Park District conserves and preserves natural resources in the county. The park district manages six parks, three nature preserves, a hike/bike trail and several green spaces encompassing nearly 800 acres. Recent conservation projects include a wetland restoration at Shor Park and green space protection along the East Fork of the Little Miami River.

July 17, 2018

Day camp goes overnight

Campers prepare for their overnight stay at Chilo Lock 34 Park July 12; 10-year-old Addie was the fastest to assemble her t

CHILO – Canoeing. Orienteering. Hiking. Foraging. Camping.

The Clermont County Park District filled its Outdoor Survival Camp with all kinds of adventures. The highlight was an overnight session July 12 and 13 featuring a tent-building competition, learning to build and tend a campfire, open-flame cooking, night hikes, games and ghost stories.

Campers didn’t get to bed until close to midnight Thursday; some may have been a little grumpy when rousted out at 8 a.m. Friday.

They learned one last, valuable lesson at breakfast. Make sure the powdered donuts are well sealed and stored unless you want to share them with squirrels. (The glazed donuts and orange juice were fine.)

“I liked everything,” one 10-year-old camper said. “I can’t pick what was my favorite. But I really liked the campout. I’ve been camping before, but I never put up my own tent.”

“We camp a lot with my family, but we have a pop-up,” said another 10-year-old. “Putting up my tent was kind of hard at first. But taking it down and packing it up was pretty easy.”

One 11-year-old made her second trip to outdoor survival camp in 2018; she already looks forward to coming back again next summer.

“It’s just a lot of fun,” she said. “You get to do a lot of fun stuff. And if something bad ever happens, you know what to do to be safe.”

Next up in the Park District’s summer camp series will be the Nature Sleuths Camp for ages 6 and 7. It runs 9:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. July 30 to Aug. 3 at Sycamore Park. Campers become hands-on detectives exploring different aspects of forest, river and meadow habitats.

For more information, please call Lead Naturalist Jana Marshall at 513-240-2615.

Mark D. Motz is the Community Relations Manager for the Clermont County Park District. A native Cincinnatian, he has worked for more than 25 years as an award-winning journalist and public relations professional. Away from work, he enjoys photography, theater and spending time with his nine godchildren.